How to swerve your email traffic

How many times during the day are you alerted that you have new mail?

And how often do you then stop what you are doing to read it only to find that the email is the latest copy of an old supplier newsletter that you never unsubscribed from? Or perhaps – frustratingly – a “reply-all” email from a colleague which simply says “Thanks”.

Regardless of how relevant these emails are to you it is the impact they have on train of thought that does damage.

No matter how trivial they seem – those constant email interruptions take your focus away from your main tasks – you will miss, delay or be distracted from more important business matters.

So what can be done?
1.    The first thing is to switch off all audible and visual email alerts – unless your job role really means you have respond to an email immediately you receive it (this is extremely rare).
2.    Check your mails at a time that is appropriate given your role – for example twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon.
3.    Unsubscribe from email from companies or organisations whose products or services no longer interest you. A simple click could save you many minutes or even hours of interruptions in the future.

These simple tips can have a very positive impact on your productivity, concentration and focus – and they take just two minutes to put into practice.

What reason do you have for not to starting to do them today?